Monday, July 7, 2014

Independence Day and 2 funerals...

Hello
my friends hello,

So
it is so weird that I have a new niece and nephew that I won’t get to meet for
an entire year, the fam bam is just getting bigger every day. I am so happy for
both of my sisters and am looking forward to meeting the new family when I get
home in a year! This is so weird.

So
this week I have grown more than I think I have ever grown in my life.
Spiritually and mentally. This week has been very hard and I have had to do
things that no 19 year old boy should have to do, but I know that the Lord is preparing
me for the future, preparing me for something so great that I can’t even
imagine.

But
to start things off the Independence Day was awesome! People down here are all
about it, haha so we got to talk to a lot of awesome people about how awesome
our country is. Man this county is amazing. Except it was weird to me that when
I would tell everyone “Happy Independence Day”, like no one knew what I was
talking about? They were like; it is the 4th of July? So I hope everyone back
home may learn about why we celebrate the Fourth of July, because if it didn’t
happen the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ might not have happened
yet!

So
to celebrate this wonderful day I wanted to blow some crap up like the whole
U.S.A. does, but we found out that we aren’t allowed to handle an open flame in
this mission, so we just got some little pop fireworks and went to town haha
good day. We also watched the city fireworks from our roof which was legendary.
I love our country.

That
aside this week was different. This week I truly gained a testimony of how we
are never alone because Christ is always with us, he will never leave us and he
will buoy us up when we need his help. I gained a greater testimony of the Plan
of Salvation and God’s love for little children. This week my companion and I
were asked to attend two funerals... One for an elderly woman and one for
a little boy, for the little boy we were asked to help dedicate the grave
site.... I’m sorry if this letter doesn’t make sense but I am feeling a lot of
emotion right now… When we were there I felt the spirit of the Lord.. Yes when
death is present there is always mourning and it is okay to be sad and to grieve.
But God is always still there. I personally would not be able to handle death,
or handle life for that matter, without God’s perfect plan of salvation. His
plan is perfect, it is not just heaven and hell, it is not fire and brimstone,
it is his plan of happiness where families can be together forever. It’s the
hope of a better place. I know that that little boy is with his Heavenly Father
right now, I know that he is okay I know that God needed him for a reason. And
he is so blessed; he didn’t have to go through all these hardships and trials
that come with life. He gets to dwell in peace.

I
was also made aware of my friend Matt Palmer this week (he passed away on his mission). I testify to you that he is sitting
with our God in heaven right now as we speak. I know that he is safe and I know
that he is okay. I am so blessed to know him. I am so blessed to know that he
is truly with our Heavenly Father.....

Life is hard. We don’t
understand it, but God does so take every situation and learn and grow, try not
to give up, and become the person God needs you to be. Love you all so much and
I love God and His plan. Never forget who we are.